Rip off Barclays

transactions,

Get used to it. Unfortunately, they're all like that. The worst ones are actually the internet banking services. First Direct / Smile etc. Whilst High Street banks will ultimately send you snail mail, online accounts will send you emails. Whilst thats all very well and good for those that check their emails daily, it becomes equally problematic if you don't.

Getting a refund from an online bank is much harder than with a High Street bank where you probably have established years of custom with. Just tell them that they are not giving you any reason to stay with them and they will reimburse you. You'll have a lot more problems if you try to do this with Cahoot.

Whilst High Street banks are the worse for charges, when it comes to compassion for unauthorised charges, whilst their unauthorised charges are higher, they are far more inclined to reimburse. Online banks are fairly robotic with standard responses.

By all means complain, but what you should be doing is getting an authorised overdraft and getting that set as high as possible.

AMO

I've never had an email from first direct, they always phone - they are primarily a phone bank in anycase - I've even emailed them a number in South Africa which they immediately called back rather than resorting to email.

I've had no problems getting charges refunded from first direct - I've argued currency conversion rates on visa for example...

Jim.

The banks charges are transparent enough, you are guilty of ignorance.

Yes the charges are unfair and extortionate, banks will make their money how they make their money, this is the latest rip off that is hitting the tabloid headlines.

What is worrying is the lack of consistency. You will hear about people having a direct debit rejected due to it leaving someone 10p overdrawn but if you take money from an ATM and go 100 overdrawn this is accepted. The banks want it both ways.

When I was with Barclays, my current account would not let me go overdrawn if I attempted to withdraw money from an ATM (this would be about 10 years ago though), if what you say is true and Barclays now allow current accounts to go overdrawn from ATMs with unauthorised overdrafts and then slap excessive charges they are obviously exploiting customers for easy profit with relaxing of these rules and without any ATM warnings. How hard would it be to put a message on the ATM transaction that this withdrawal would take you overdrawn and Barclays will charge you 25 for the privilege.

Don't forget though that this rip of culture is among all banks and not just Barclays, expect similar from Cahoot.

You can get an agreed overdraft limit of around 500 free of arrangement fee. When you then go overdrawn, accidentally or on purpose, you only pay interest.

Alec

That comes as standard with Cahoot.

And you don't even pay the interest on the first 250. For the record, Cahoot made no fuss over refunding me an overdrawing charge they caused at another bank. Mind you it was very clearly their fault. :-)

transactions,

I had a similar experience with the Halifax, but it was 28 per violation - including a 3 direct debit! However, they did not authorise POS or ATM transactions. What I really would like is a bank that bars all withdrawals, cheques, SOs, DDs, the lot if you exceed your overdraft limit. The letter about the charges being due to extra staff work sounds suspicious to me in a computer automated age!

Once I had explained that I had been on holiday at the time of the violations and that a deposit to cover them was *one* day late, they reimbursed all but one of the charges. So, I acknowledge their flexibility there but I know that was my last chance!

The Royal Bank of Scotland is more reasonable, one charge of 20 if you exceed the limit.

Roland.

That's certainly not my experience. I received a charge from First Direct for going overdrawn (I'd forgotten to transfer cash from another account). I simply wrote them a polite letter asking them to refund the charge, and they did so without any quibble.

In fact I'd recommend them to anyone. I've been with them almost since they started and have always found their service excellent. When you call them, you get a real person instead of those bloody awful menus or automated services, and that person is actually located in this country (shock, horror!), so there are no communication difficulties.

There are few companies in any sector which leave me delighted with their standard of service, but First Direct is one of them (I don't work for them by they way! - it just makes such a refreshing change for a company to live up to its promises).

Helen.

"Helen" wrote

Agree to everything you said - including being with them since almost the start (it's their 15th birthday soon - have you seen the celebratory offers?), & me not working for them!

The National Giro was like that when it started in 1968 and did not get the popularity it deserved. Gradually overdrafts and charges were introduced and

36 years later it has become the abomination known as an Alliance & Leicester current account.